Spring In Your Eyes
by Himitchen
Summary: He always knew he was considered a nuisance, a disgrace, by the townspeople. So when he was chosen as the sacrifice, he couldn't say that he was surprised. SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story that I had planned for years but never finished it as I couldn't think on how to continue it. Would like to see what you guys think.**

**The main pairing might be Harry(Haru)/Seshoumaru or Harry(Haru)/Naraku. SLASH of course.**

* * *

_He always knew he was considered a nuisance, a disgrace, by the townspeople. But he didn't expect things to come to this._

The rope around his wrist pulled insistently, motioning him to keep moving. In resignation, he allowed himself to be pulled away.

_What did he do wrong?_

**oOo**

Life had seemed to be constantly on his watch from day one.

After losing both of his parents in a strange event, everyone has been reluctant of being close to him, considering him a bringer of bad luck, and constantly avoided him like a plague. So as an orphan child with no one else to look after him, the elders decided that he was to be placed under the care of Kanan, an old widow who was somewhat strange in his opinion -maybe even crazy- but it wasn't the moment for being picky. It wasn't as if the elders actually cared for his well-being.

Not really.

Walking through his habitual track for the last few days, he let his thoughts wander.

As strange as Kanan was, he was thankful for everything she did even when he did not understand some of it. After all, he had a roof above his head and food, and even if he wasn't showered in love and care he felt that she did love him in her own way.

Thinking of her he pulled a little at the cloth over his eyes and pulled out some strands of hair that managed to get in. He still wondered why she was adamant on making him cover his eyes. He had wondered countless times if there was something wrong with his eyes. He seemed to be able to see perfectly fine if the scants moments in the night when he was able to take the bandage off could count.

Maybe they just looked freaky, he thought. Maybe his eyes were one of the reasons that the villagers were hesitant on being close to him. He didn't even know what he looked like as there weren't any reflective objects in the house.

Being so deep in thought he had not realized that he had arrived to his destination until the crunching sound of the dry leaves below his feet brought him back to the present.

Kneeling in front of the tomb, he reached with a hand to clean the dry plants away.

Fifteen years after being under her care, he found himself alone in the world once more, but now his life was filled with silence and loneliness. The only thing that kept him going was a routine, he'd wake up with the dawn, eat what little he had and then he visited her grave to remove any dirt it had gathered since his last visit. There wasn't much he could do on the village, people still seemed to despise the very thought of him.

Finishing his cleaning, he leaned back and let the light breeze weave through his locks.

Reaching a hand through his hair he started combing it with his fingers noticing that it was getting longer already. He wondered what would happen to it now.

Kanan was adamant on keeping his hair as short as it could; such was her resolution that as soon as his hair grew an inch she would cut it, only for it to just keep growing stubbornly, stronger and faster than before. That too was one of the things he didn't understand. He supposed that, in his mind, it was another of the things that made him 'freaky'.

He always asked about his freakishness but she refused to give him an answer. After many tries, he learned to just ignore it.

As the air grew colder, he decided it would be better to get back home.

Passing through the town, he could hear the mutterings of the villagers a few feet away and felt for them.

They were getting restless. The lack of rain was ruining the crops and it was making them desperate. The more despaired ones demanded to take matters into their own hands and to make an offering to the spirits, even if they had disliked the very idea of dealing with these beings in the first place.

But as days had passed, the hunger grew and so did the despair.

Finally, the townspeople made a decision.

They were going to appease the Gods by giving them an offering.

But, as the fields were completely dry it was not possible to deliver grain -what little was left was given to the little ones- and the animals were dying.

Nonetheless, the elders had already found the solution and as soon as the sun went down, they were going to send the offering.

The forceful knocking on the front door resounded in the quietness of the house, but he remained calm.

_More than an offering it was more of a sacrifice._

Silently, he rose from his sitting position and opened the door. The smell of burning wood slightly irritated his nose. A torch?

No one uttered a word, for he already knew what was happening.

Quietly raising his hands in front of him, he let himself be tied and guided out of the house.

**oOo**

_Kanan used to tell him that he was most likely to have a short life. But then she also used to be wrong on most things._

_He wasn't sure if this was going to be one of these times._

**oOo**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I write this story while listening to Ikimonogakari on repeat.**

**oOo**

The sound of footsteps on dry ground echoed in his ears as the rope binding his wrists kept pulling him in what he presumed was the forest; the very forest that was proclaimed prohibited by the elders in fear of what dangerous creatures might be lurking on them.

Indignation filled him at the thought of the elders.

They wanted to get rid of him so badly that as soon as they saw the chance they immediately took it without a second thought.

His irritation increased the more he thought about it and he quietly tightened his hands into fists, how could he had been so stupid?

But…

Even if he despised the elders he couldn't blame the townspeople. They were scared and desperate for anything that would bring them safety for their families.

He felt sadness regarding the townspeople and the danger they were in. For the elders, he only felt resentment.

They were the ones who decided that he should remain away from the village and their people. They were the ones who started this feeling of resentment on their hearts.

He never belonged there, he felt like he was only a lamb raised to be taken to the slaughterhouse.

And the worst part was that he always knew it.

Letting his thoughts drift for a second he wondered what would've happened with him if Kanan hadn't taken him in, but now it wasn't the time to think about it. As pointless as it was, he wasn't going to spend his last hours wallowing in self-pity. So with his head held high he continued to walk in silence to what he felt would be his impending death.

He could fight back; he thought for a second.

The two men on his sides along the one that was pulling on his wrists seemed to be weakened by the lack of food that the townspeople has been suffering, but he also knew he wasn't strong enough. Maybe he could knock out one of them, but three? Being completely blind with his bandages covering his eyes was also an inconvenience, he bitterly thought.

Even if he tried to fight back, and in the remote case that he would win, where could he run to? He paused.

He'd had to wait for the right moment before rushing into anything.

The deeper they went into the forest, the more the air became charged with a sense of foreboding.

He could feel the wariness of his capturers and absentmindedly wondered if it was because of the implications of taking him to this place, his silence, or only because they were wandering into an unknown place.

"I'm sorry for this." The man who had been pulling on his rope spoke suddenly as they stopped.

Shocked, he could barely utter a word in question before he felt a harsh blow on the back of his head and his consciousness slipped away.

**oOo**

Slowly regaining his senses he let out a groan at the sharp pain on the back of his head. How long has he been out?

His arms were now stretched wide open and tied round a big tree with another rope around his waist bounding him to the tree. Resting his head against the sturdy trunk, he let out a curse.

They didn't even had the courtesy of taking his bandages off, he sighed.

**oOo**

Sighing for the hundredth time, he tiredly hit the back of his head against the trunk. He had tried pulling his hands from his bindings to no avail, the ropes were too tight and now he was more exhausted than before.

It was too quiet in here. He paused and listened for anything out of the ordinary.

He almost wished there was an actual monster. That would surely make things interesting; at least he wouldn't die of starvation which was more likely than anything else.

A sudden gust of wind made him stop and hold his breath.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked quietly as he listened to the approaching footsteps. "Are you the monster that lives in these woods?"

Gold eyes narrowed at his words, "Are you afraid of monsters?" The person asked in disdain as he scrutinized this human tied to the trunk of an old tree; he seemed too calm on the situation he was in. A normal human would've been begging for release, even crying hysterically in the presence of a yokai.

The boy paused for a moment, thinking carefully on his next words and faced the stranger as if he could actually look at him before he let his face drop towards the ground.

"I would be a fool if I say that I'm not scared but I don't fear death." He spoke softly but without hesitation and after a second, he continued, "I am not stupid. I know that you are probably not human and I know what you are capable of, but honestly, being alive… being alone, can be a far worse fate than death."

For a while, the man seemed to contemplate his answer in silence. "What are you?"

"Just human," he replied in confusion.

The stranger frowned and flared his nostrils trying to sense anything out of the ordinary on this person. There was something that led him towards this person, but he wasn't sure what it was and the fact that he didn't know the reason aggravated him. At first he had thought that it was a shard of the Shikon no Tama but it didn't seem to be the case.

"Do you want to live?" Unbeknownst to him, he found himself asking and frowned deeper at his own words.

The boy startled and stuttered, "I don't understand-"

"Answer." He scowled.

"Yes." The boy breathed out, "Yes. I want to live."

The silence surrounded him once more and then he heard the unsheathing of a sword.

**oOo**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I came to the conclusion that if this was part of the anime then:**

-Sakura by Ikimonogakari would be it's first opening.

-Yell by Do As Infinity would be it's first ending.

-Haruuta by Ikimonogakari would be it's second opening.

-Tasogare by Do As Infinity would be it's second ending.

-Kimi Ga Inai Mirai by Do As Infinity would be it's third opening.

* * *

Sesshoumaru stared at the frozen figure that was now bracing himself against the tree, the ropes that were binding him falling to the ground in a useless heap.

"You are free now. Go on with your life." He announced sheathing his sword once more. Giving one last glance to the still petrified boy he scowled before he turned away.

At the sound of the footsteps becoming farther and farther, the boy promptly shook himself out of his stupor pushing himself from the tree and hastily exclaimed, "Wait! Where- Where are you going?"

Sesshomaru barely lifted an eyebrow as he stared at the boy almost tripping on his own feet in his haste.

"P-please, take me with you!" The boy called out.

"If you dare to interfere-" He sneered.

"I won't! Please, I can't go back." The boy despaired. "These people- Most of the people at the village expected me to die, if I were to return-" He trailed off with his head down. "I have nowhere else to go."

"I-I will do anything. I promise I won't get in your way."

"What good can you do for me?" Golden eyes narrowed as he sneered. "You are blind, you are young, and you are **weak**."

Trying to contain his annoyance, he tightened his hands into fists. "I might not look like much, but I am _not_ blind and my senses had never betrayed me. I can find my way around things." He knew that this person had a point but the fact that he would just jeer at him annoyed him to no end. He already had enough of it with the villager's taunts and he was tired of it.

"If you are not blind, why cover your sight?"

The boy paused and reached a hand towards his blindfold. He was so used to it that most of the time he forgets that he was still wearing it. "I- I was told that I should keep my eyes covered at all times."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

The gruffness on his voice made the boy shiver and then visibly startled when sudden footsteps came towards him. "I don't know, they never told me and I learned to live with it," he swallowed nervously keeping his face down knowing well that he was being scrutinized by this person. Trying to back away he jumped when he was pressed back against a tree.

"Show me."

Stunned, he began to stutter uncontrollably and raised his hands to try to placate him. "I can't-!"

Without any heed at his protest, Sesshoumaru forcefully pinned his hands, "Show. Me." He ordered with a growl and, with only using his claws, cut the white bandages that were covering the boy's face.

He didn't know what he was hoping for but he certainly wasn't expecting to be assaulted by big green eyes. It was such a peculiar color for someone who proclaimed to be 'just human'. He remained in his place with his mind reeling.

Slowly opening his eyes, the boy blinked multiple times to try to adjust his eyesight to the sudden brightness and froze when he found himself face to face to golden eyes and long white hair.

He stared in shock at the stranger's face and felt an immense sense of self-consciousness and felt his face becoming warm.

The man was unbelievably handsome; his face, which he thought could only be described as graceful, framed by long white hair shining with the moonlight was astonishing. The red marks on his cheeks made his gulp before he carefully drew his gaze towards the stranger's eyes.

He inhaled sharply when he noticed the slit pupils on golden eyes.

"You are really a Yokai." He breathed out, just then his eyes widened even more noticing that they were just inches apart and immediately yelped as he pushed him away.

If Sesshoumaru wasn't as prideful he would have snorted at this boy's actions but of course he wouldn't do such a thing as disgraceful –and distasteful- as acting like the idiotic half-breed that unfortunately shared his blood.

The young man quickly knelt and gathered the remains of the fabric.

"T-the person who used to take care of me, she told me to keep my eyes covered." The boy spoke still shaken up.

Sesshoumaru regarded him in silence for a moment before narrowing his eyes when the boy tied the pieces together and wore it, once more covering his eyes.

He didn't know what drove him to say his next words. He kept telling himself that it was only so he could determine what was different about this 'human'.

"You can come with me," he began, "but you have to prove yourself. I won't be helping pathetic little beings who can't even defend themselves."

"What do I-?"

"Find me." Was his only reply before he was gone with a gust of wind.

The boy stood shocked in place before he slumped tiredly. "Bastard."

**oOo**

A small campfire had been readied for cooking. A child was happily humming as she was tending to the fire, and an imp, who was seated in annoyance a few feet away, stared at the small girl and sighed, wondering where has his Lord gone. He immediately perked up when the child exclaimed in happiness and noticed his Lord approaching them.

"Lord Sesshoumaru! You left so suddenly, did you found something? Is there anything dangerous?"

"Stop disturbing my Lord Sesshoumaru with questions!" The imp squeaked angrily.

The sudden footsteps on crunchy grass stopped his angry rant and the group stared as a young man grabbed onto a nearby tree as he gasped.

"I told you that I can find my way around things." He spoke between his gasps. "But that doesn't mean I can track something that just _disappears in thin air_!" He was beyond irritated; he couldn't believe he just spent the past few hours trying to get to this clearly-not-human asshole.

Why did he even bother? He thought. With the time that it took him to find him he could have gone to any other place. Maybe even find civilization… he became even more annoyed, but this time at himself.

He exhaled angrily as he waited for a response.

"Mom?" A voice called a few steps ahead and before he could react a body crashed against his legs. "Mommy!"

He held his breath for a moment as he tried to understand what just happened before his shocked yelp resonated in the forest.

_"WHAT?!"_

**oOo**

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**AN: Hope you guys apreciate this lol. It's one in the morning...**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Have an early update, I was going to post this later tonight but I guess this was a good time as any. This is the longest chapter at the moment, was going to divide it but it worked better as a whole. Hope you guys like it.**

**This chapter was a bit harder and ****I'm not exactly happy with this one. ****_'Harry'_ kept being an imprudent little shit and made things worse**

* * *

Uncertain of what he should do, the boy raised his arms in shock and barely breathed, too astonished to move as he felt the small body press closer against his legs.

Later, he would look back at this moment and mentally kick himself when realizing how stupid he was for reacting this way but when he felt the small weight slamming against his legs and call him 'mommy' he didn't know how to react and he screamed. Loudly.

In his defense, he was on edge, being in unknown territory, assaulted by the people on his village, tied to a tree, exhausted after walking around for hours and irritated at an infuriatingly silent Yokai for making him chase after him when the bastard moved too fast for him to catch on. The mere thought of said Yokai made him angry.

"Rin, you foolish girl!" The angry squeaks of Jaken broke the silence, "That's no woman! That's just a ratty boy!"

The abruptness of his comment brought him back to reality and the boy stammered. "W-what is-?" _'Wait, ratty?'_

The girl squealed as she quickly pushed away whimpering softly. "Rin is so so sorry!"

"I-It's alright! I'm sorry I'm not the person you wanted." He said as calmly as he could, trying to reassure her. "I apologize for scaring you." He added with a little smile, knowing that a stranger with their eyes covered could be an intimidating sight for a child, even if they were in the company of Yokai.

"I'm here because-" He started but trailed off with a shiver and felt piercing eyes on him. Lifting his face, he gazed towards a certain point to his left. "May I speak with the Yokai?"

"Eh?!" The squeaking thing exclaimed.

"I don't have a name; he was the one who made me come here in the first place."

"If your intent is speaking with our Lord, you can just go back where you came from!" Jaken stated as he angrily stomped his staff against the ground. "He doesn't have time for the likes of you!"

"_'Lord'_?" He inquired with a tilt of his head, "I don't care about his title I just want to speak with him."

"You little-!"

"Jaken." The Lord barely spoke before the imp shriveled and blubbered, "L-lord Sesshoumaru!"

"Ah, for a second I was starting to wonder if you were even there." The boy groused out.

Jaken screeched bewildered at this boy's gall, "Insolent-!"

"I'm here to-" He started once more but yelped as a clawed hand forcefully grabbed his arm, pulling him away from the others. "Hey!"

**oOo**

"Stop! S-stop it!" The boy demanded and yelped as he was manhandled before the grip on his arm released making him crash against a tree. Again.

"If you are going to remain in the presence of this Sesshoumaru you will mind your behavior." The Lord spoke, looming over him. "I won't have you being impertinent."

The boy paused for a second at this man's way of speaking before he regained his composure and exploded, "Why do you have a small child with you?! She sounds like she is barely ten! If you harm her-!"

The sudden slam inches from his head stopped him with a jolt and swallowed heavily.

"Enlighten this Sesshoumaru," the Lord inquired impassively as his sharp claws remained embedded into the tree, "what would _you_ do?"

Feeling his closeness, the boy trembled. He knew he shouldn't antagonize someone who could easily kill him without a second thought but he didn't want to relent and look like a coward when a child could be in potential danger. The little girl mistook him for her mother, for God's sake!

"I won't let you! Whatever plan you have for her, you will have to kill me first." He exclaimed, mentally congratulating himself for not stammering.

Even when silence was his only reply he hadn't dared to move. Feeling that his wits were being tested he couldn't afford to back down, so he waited, face firm as he remained there making sure to face him, even if he couldn't really see him.

Intrigued as this boy's stubbornness to not show any kind of submission he narrowed his eyes at the cloth covering the boy's sight, having the impulse to rip it off once more just to see if there was any trace of fear in his eyes.

"You are on trial." He spoke as he finally released his claws from the tree. "Do anything wrong and this Sesshoumaru will make sure you regret it." He finished without looking at him before he retreated to the camping grounds.

The boy remained standing frozen in place for a moment before he slumped heavily against the tree, trying to calm his racing heart.

_He'd better control his mouth if he wanted to remain alive._

_Sadly, thinking before speaking wasn't his forte._

**oOo**

He appeared in front of the group minutes later, face downcast, completely embarrassed that he was feeling like a small child who was scolded.

"I'm here to apologize about before." He started after a moment of hesitation. "It wasn't in my intention being rude to anyone," he continued, lightly picking at his sleeves in a nervous manner. "I promise I will do my best to stay out of trouble a-and you won't even hear me complain!" His voice hitched before he quickly bowed, "I-I'm only asking for a place to stay."

Rin stood by the fire, gaze going back and forth between the boy and Jaken until finally staring questioningly at the Lord. Not seeing anything in particular, she quietly approached the boy and took a hold of his hand making him jump slightly before the corners of his lips curved into an embarrassed smile as he left himself be pulled towards the bonfire.

"M-my Lord!?" Jaken sputtered as he stared wide eyed at his master, bewildered at the thought of having another human in their group.

"Mind yourself." Were the only words the Lord spoke not leaving the boy out of his sight.

Jaken wasn't certain if the words were addressed at him or at the boy. Probably both, he thought but stopped as he noticed as the boy immediately nodded and his confusion peaked wondering what had happened when his Lord had dragged the boy into the forest.

The imp grumbled as he sat on a rock close to the fire.

He didn't know what were his Lord's intentions with this human boy but what he did know was that he would have another human to babysit. He wasn't a nanny, dammit!

**oOo**

Sitting in a proper seiza, the boy remained content with absorbing the warmth of the fire and waited for the onslaught of questions that would surely happen at any moment if the squirming of his small companion at his side was anything to go by.

He didn't know the little girl sitting next to him but he had a feeling that she wasn't exactly the one to remain quiet; he thought and smiled when he could almost feel her curiousness increase by the second. He was just waiting for it to boil over.

"Why do you cover your eyes?" Finally, he thought with a little chuckle.

As soon as the first question left her mouth more came out by the second. "Is there something wrong with them? What is your name?"

"Rin." A voice scolded from one of the trees where Sesshoumaru had decided to reside in, being able to watch over should anything happen with the newcomer.

"Sorry," she pouted.

"Don't worry. I don't mind." The boy laughed lightly, "To answer your questions, I was told to keep my eyes covered at all times."

"Why? Can you see? Are you blind?"

He just shook his head with a small smile. "I can see, but it's hard for me to focus when there is light. The woman who took me in was just insistent on covering my eyes; she never gave me a reason. I just learned to do as she said without question."

_Doing things without questions, _that was what the villagers asked of him and he was stupid enough for allowing it, and for what? They never gave him anything in return, he bitterly thought as he tightened his hands into firsts on top of his knees.

Tilting her head to the side so she could properly look at his face, the girl asked curiously, "What is your name?" She noticed the darkening of his expression and decided that it didn't suit him, she liked it much better when he was happy and smiling and laughing.

The boy paused at her question not knowing how to reply her, "I don't have one."

"But everyone needs a name!"

At her exclamation the boy couldn't help but smile at her. "Not me. People never bothered with a name for me, they just called me 'boy'." _Along with other things that no child should ever be called._

The girl's face fell before she exclaimed earnestly, "Then Rin will give you one!" but paused for a second as she thought for a proper name.

"Can Rin see your eyes?"

A name, he thought, it would be good to finally have a name. He swallowed heavily, feeling touched that this little girl would be the one to give him one.

"Rin, tell me," He started as he cleared his throat, "is there another source of light apart from the bonfire?"

"Um, there is the moon?" She hesitated as she raised a hand to point at the sky, even if the boy couldn't actually see it.

Chuckling, he reached towards his bandages and his fingers hooked on the cloth and paused, hoping that the child wouldn't be afraid of whatever she might see. Taking a deep breath, he pulled and the bandages feel on his lap.

Slowly opening his eyes, he blinked a couple of times to focus. The flames dancing in front of him was the first thing he saw and he became entranced by it. Blinking, he drew his gaze to his left and was greeted by the sight of a small brown haired girl. Big brown eyes stared at him in amazement and she squealed, "Green!"

The boy chuckled and bowed his head slightly, "Midori, then?"

"U-uh, no! That's girl name! Something else!" She hummed as she thought. It was a pretty name but it wasn't for him, she thought, he needed a special one!

The boy just stared at the girl in bemusement as she glared into the fire as if it was the cause of her hardship and then she promptly exclaimed, "Haru!"

Blinking in surprise at her energy, he tilted his head in consideration, "Haru?" He said, trying out the name as it rolled out of his tongue.

"Yes! Because Haru's eyes are like spring!" She beamed as she squirmed excitedly next to him.

He was entranced at this child's happiness and innocence and decided at that very moment that he would do anything to protect it, even if he had to fight one hundred Yokai for it.

**oOo**

* * *

**AN: So, speaking in third person... I wasn't sure if I should implement it to the story as it is a bit difficult for me. I have to admit, it's adorable for Rin but a bit irritating for Sesshoumaru lol**

**On another note, if anyone noticed that I never gave _'Harry'_ a proper name on the story, then congratulations! (I hinted at it on a note in the first chapter but that was about it)**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Enjoy this super early chapter! I had planned to update every two weeks but this one came fast and *cough* I have something planned for the next chapter *cough***

**I'll admit it, I enjoy annoying Jaken.**

* * *

Jaken slowly woke up with a loud yawn, stretching his arms. He had fallen asleep with his back against a rock and the pain was letting itself known.

Seeing the girl curled next to the boy, he stared and took a deep breath. It was going to be such a long day.

He was about to poke his staff on the girl's back to wake her but then decided against it. It was too damn early to deal with the human, he thought and then his eye twitched in annoyance. Correction, _humans_.

Oh, how he dreaded the moment that they would wake up.

He still couldn't believe that stupid girl had just named that boy as if he were a pet!

He scoffed at the thought, maybe that was it, maybe his Lord just brought this scrawny boy for some kind of entertainment, he pondered for a while but then shook his head. This boy, 'Haru' as Rin decided to name him, wasn't anything special in his eyes. He was scrawny, his clothes were old and dirty and yeah, he admitted that his eyes were an interesting shade of green but he had his eyes covered for most of the time, but he just couldn't forget the worst of it all! He had the gall to insult his Lord in his face!

Thinking back about his comment, he was surprised that his master hadn't killed him at that moment. When his Lord Sesshoumaru had dragged the boy to the woods he had thought that maybe he was about to kill him but hadn't done it right there so Rin won't be able to see. He was shocked though when his Lord came back minutes later completely serene, as usual. Maybe it was a clean kill, he pondered but then he almost choked when the boy appeared looking as chastised as a little child.

His astonishment increased and he almost spat his heart out when the foolish girl took the boy's hand pulling him towards the campfire. He had stared at his Lord with a look of consternation but he had remained impassive even as his eyes never drifted from their interactions.

He felt the cold sweat forming as he glanced back at the constant chattering coming from the girl to the calm and bemused appearance of the boy.

He really hoped that it wasn't what he thought. God, he had even prayed that it wasn't. It- it probably was that he was worried about his charge, nothing more!

His Lord had never expressed those kinds of demeanors before!

_Which could mean that this is the first_, added the annoying little voice on his head and he gulped heavily.

Please, Kami-sama…

**oOo**

"Haru…Haru!" A voice called as little fingers prodded into his side. Shifting with a grunt, he turned to lie on his back and rubbed his eyes, slowly regaining consciousness.

Blinking as his eyes tried to adjust to the light, he noticed the little girl from last night -Rin, his mind supplied- and he smiled when the brown eyes lightened in happiness.

It seemed he had forgotten to replace his blindfold before falling asleep, he thought as he picked on the cloth that he had tied to his wrist in order to keep it near him and slowly sat up. The daylight was too much for his sight, even to the point of being painful.

He was surprised at how easily he had fallen asleep. On the village Kanan made him drink a special herbal tea every night stating that it was to _'help him sleep'_ but if that wasn't the case… he dreaded what was it for. Every day that passed he seemed to find new reasons to loathe the people on that place.

_What were they trying so hard to hide from him?_

His mood soured.

The last day he took the tea was before they came to his house-

"Is Haru okay?"

Blinking, he turned to the worried expression on Rin's face. "Ah, I'm alright, just thinking." He said with a reassuring smile and chuckled a little at the messy black hair, it seemed she woke up just a few seconds before him.

"What?" Rin asked curiously and startled as Haru detached her ponytail and carefully combed his fingers through her locks attempting to fix it. The action was so gentle that it shocked her and looking at Haru's face so full of love and care for her she felt like crying.

She briefly remembered how her mother would comb her fingers on her hair when she had trouble sleeping and she felt her eyes prickle with tears.

"There, do you think it's good?" Haru asked but his voice appeared to be far away. "Rin? What happened, did I hurt you?" He asked, voice full of concern as he started to panic.

Just then Jaken appeared, staff on hand, "Have you two stopped chattering now? R-Rin-?" He questioned as he noticed her state, and glared at the boy. "What did you do?!" He accused, pointing his staff at him.

Haru became agitated as next to him, Rin began sniffing and tears started to fall down her cheeks.

"I-I don't know wh-" He spoke agitatedly noticing as the Lord approached slowly but with purpose. Yeah, he was going to die in a slow and painful way, he blanched.

"Rin wants Haru to do it again!" She suddenly cried out as she crashed against his chest, pressing her face against his kosode as she trembled.

Confused, he slowly enveloped her into his arms as the tears drenched his clothing. "Rin?" He inquired, rubbing his hand against her back trying to comfort her.

Lifting his gaze, he saw that the Lord was just a few feet away as expressionless as always, the day that he'd show some emotion apart from annoyance would be an interesting one for sure, and Haru narrowed his eyes at him daring him to do something that would hurt the child on his arms.

The Lord, he believed he had heard the small imp call him Sesshoumaru, didn't seem to have done anything to harm the girl but he felt protective of her. Maybe overly so, he thought as he had only known her for a few hours but he wasn't going to let anything happen to the little girl who was showing some light on his world for the first time in his life.

He gently caressed her head as more tears came flowing. He didn't know what had triggered her to break down like that, he could only hold her in his arms trying to bring her the comfort that she seemed to seek.

**oOo**

"S-sir?" Jaken quietly asked as he stood next to his Lord. "What should I do?

Sesshoumaru stared at the scene before him. The boy, who Rin has dubbed 'Haru', was holding her as Rin burred further into his arms as she sobbed.

Without the bandages covering his eyes, Sesshoumaru could perfectly see the green eyes and inspected them trying to figure out this person but he could only see concern and care for his ward.

Ignoring Jaken, he turned around and quietly walked away from them.

_For someone who always had his eyes covered, he wore his emotions on his eyes._

_He scowled at the thought._

**oOo**

* * *

**AN: The New Moon is nearing…**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, it means a lot to me to know that someone likes what I write.**

**The chapters are getting harder to write, this one was a struggle.**

* * *

The next few days with their new companion were quite… interesting, Jaken thought as he glanced towards the small river where Rin had taken Haru to fish.

The girl had tried to teach him how to catch a fish with his bare hands for the past few hours but he kept failing. Every time he grabbed one they will struggle until they either got away or slapped him in the face which resulted in a fit of giggles coming from the girl.

Huffing, Jaken turned away from them. So far the boy hasn't given them any problem, which he was thankful for. In fact, he thought as he watched them play on the water, Haru made sure to keep an eye on the girl and was adamant of letting her wander off on her own, thus keeping her out of any trouble. That surely made his life easier at least. He was surprised to see that he even had good manners apparently instilled by a caretaker… if we ignore the mouthing off.

Jaken, though, was still unsure of having him around. The boy's sight had seemed to improve these past few days to a point were he barely needed to cover his eyes anymore and whenever you saw him, the green eyes were always attentive to his surroundings, seemingly absorbing everything he could see.

Though there was some tension between Haru and his Lord, they both had seemed to coincide on a silent companionship of sorts.

He just expected that it won't blow on their faces, he prayed as he glanced at the pouch next to Haru's clothing on the shore of the river.

**-o-**

_"Sir! I-" Haru called as he followed the Lord, "Teach me how to fight!" He announced making him stop. Not seeing any signs of – he continued, "You said I was weak and you were right." The boy paused as he clenched his hands into fists, "If I can't protect myself… I won't be able to protect Rin. I have to learn to fend for myself- I refuse to be treated like a child who needs to be coddled and I will not be a burden to anyone."_

_The Lord merely gazed at him before he continued walking away._

_Staring after him, Haru grumbled in dismay before he sighed when he heard Rin calling for him._

-o-

_Later that day when he was cooking with Rin next to him, Haru was surprised when the Lord approached them and dropped a package on his lap. Curiously opening it, he stared at the contents before he looked at Sesshoumaru questioningly. Inside the package were three small knives along with a pair of black Tekkou._

_"You shall start with the knives. Jaken will teach you." "If he isn't capable, this Sesshoumaru will do it." He spoke before he walked away without letting the boy speak._

**-o-**

"Now apart from being the babysitter, I am a teacher…" Jaken sighed heavily.

**oOo**

Haru quickly found out that he quite enjoyed the travels especially now that he was capable of seeing. He could stare at the smallest blade of grass and find it fascinating, being it from the color or the shape. Rin only seemed to bring out his sense of curiosity even more, much to the dismay of a certain imp; he chuckled lightly at the thought.

Annoying Jaken was entertaining and it was always interesting seeing the shade of purple that he turned, though he made sure to keep his cheek at bay when near Lord Sesshoumaru. He wouldn't want to get on the Lord's bad side and risk being apart from the girl.

As the days passed by, though, he began to feel consumed by an anxiety as he felt it creeping underneath his skin. At first he had thought that it was the uneasiness of trying to adapt to being close to two demons but instead of subsiding it only seemed to increase.

"The moon is changing. Should we continue travelling at night?" Jaken inquired as the sun started to set.

"What happens with the moon?" Haru asked curiously.

"You don't know? The New Moon affects the half-breeds."

With a sense of apprehension about it all and giving a side-glance to make sure to keep Rin close by, he asked, "How so?"

"You really don't know anything, isn't it?"

"Just answer me!" He yelled shocking Rin with his outburst and hastily apologized.

"Well… with the diminishing of the moon, half-demons lose their abilities, making them mere mortals."

At his words, Haru released a breath he didn't knew he was holding. "A-ah, that was it. Sure we should- we should continue. Rin let's-" The boy stammered as he tried to walk pass them to avoid any questions when the Lord suddenly announced, "No." while staring at the boy daring him to protest. "We will rest here."

And so they decided to prepare for the bonfire.

While Haru and Rin went to look for some branches to keep the fire burning to last for the night, Jaken quietly stared at his master from time to time in question.

Ignoring the imp's gaze on him, Sesshoumaru glanced at the moonless sky, narrowing his eyes as he stared deep in thought.

And then an alarmed scream was heard.

_"Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin can't find Haru!"_

**oOo**

* * *

**AN: And another cliffhanger~**

**Of course I would take advantage of an actual New Moon to write this.**

**I think it's pretty obvious so far but I'll state it anyways, this is a slow-burn. So don't expect them to just _'stare into each other's eyes and immediately fall in love'_ lol (don't get me wrong I love reading these)**

**I'm also trying my best to keep everyone on character. Hope I'm succeeding tho**


	7. Chapter 7

Everyone halted at the distressed call of the human girl as she came running from the woods.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" She cried out and approached them as quickly as she could on her small feet, "Lord Sesshoumaru! Rin can't find Haru! We were gathering sticks but when Rin turned around he was gone!"

Jaken sputtered in shock, "What do you mean _'gone'_! He couldn't have disappeared just like that!"

"Don't know! Haru could be hurt! Lord Sesshoumaru, please, you have to find Haru!" She exclaimed eyes brimming with tears, as her small fists clenched onto the Lord's pants.

"Stay with Jaken." He ordered making Jaken broke from his stupor as his master immediately ran towards the forest.

"Rin!" Jaken called when the girl ran after the Lord, "Dammit, you are going to get yourself killed and I'll be close behind in retaliation!" He screamed as he ran trying to catch upon her.

**oOo**

They quickly tracked him thanks to his scent, the fact that Sesshoumaru could also sense the stench of pain only made him run faster and found the boy curled into himself, breathing heavily as pain rolled off him in waves, a pile of sticks scattered next to him.

The Lord knelt down beside him, inspecting him in search of injuries that could be the case of his pain which only seemed to increase by the second. Taking in his flushed state and sweat forming on his forehead in a clear sign of a fever, he pressed his palm on his forehead to turn his head towards him and paused in surprise when the boy sighed in relief, pressing himself closer to the others hand.

_Was it because he was cold or was he relieved that he was found?_

_Was he glad that it was Sesshoumaru who had found him?_

He halted his train of thoughts as noticed the thickness of the air. Apart from the odor of his agony there was a lingering scent of something akin to electricity.

"W-what is-" The boy spoke between his gasps, staring at him with a disoriented gaze, "What is happening?"

"Is Haru sick?" Rin asked quietly as she tried to approach the boy on the ground but Jaken grabbed onto her before she could. "Rin, stay back!"

"No! I want to see Haru!" She protested trying to dislodge his grip on her arm.

"R-Rin?" Haru gasped as he tried to look at her before his voice broke as he shrieked suddenly, feeling like his skull was being split open and tightly grabbed his head on his hands. "Why is she here! Take her away from me!" He screamed afraid that he would somehow hurt the girl, writhing as the pain continued cursing through his body. "Don't let her get close!" Curling tighter into himself trying to find some comfort he held onto the closest thing that was nearby, this being the Dog-Demon's arm and screamed. "PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!"

"Your struggle is only making it worse." He acknowledged, "You can't delay it much longer, you have to let go if you want to survive to see her again." He knew that mentioning the girl at this moment wasn't the best but he had to if he wanted him to see reason.

Quickly shaking his head, Haru let out a pitiful whimper as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I can't- I can't hurt her-"

"Take her to the camp now!" Red-eyed, the Lord ordered to the frozen imp as the distress coming from the younger male called to his most primal instincts.

Without notice, the boy began writhing and thrashing on the ground and Sesshoumaru could only pin the boy to avoid him hurting himself as he writhed in pain and stare as the boy's hair grew longer in only a few seconds, but that wasn't the only new thing on their newest companion. His mind reeled as a pair of black ears sprouted from his head along with the two tails that bursted from his behind. It has been years since he had heard from his kind, let alone seen one.

Gazing at the now prone state of the boy, he stared at the steady movement of his chest with each strained breath and how his face remained in a flushed state even as the signs of his fever relented after his shift. The previously neck-length hair was now long strands framing his head, pointing everywhere.

He barely noticed when Haru's eyes suddenly opened and lashed at him with sharp claws but Sesshoumaru was faster and forcefully pinned him placing a hand on his neck taking in the slit pupils over the yellowish green sclera as he lost control.

"Submit." He ordered with a severe voice as the boy struggled to break free from his grasp.

Furious, Haru snarled beneath him and Sesshoumaru tightened his grip on the others neck with the barest hint of sharp claws against his throat as a warning. "Submit." He repeated with a growl of his own.

Wide eyed at the display of dominance, Haru inhaled sharply and his struggle immediately ceased, arms plopping to the ground like a puppet whose string were cut down. Tilting his head to the side and exposing his neck, he was the vivid image of submission making the Dog-demon Lord's primal instincts rumble in delight in appreciation of the behavior.

Sesshoumaru leaned in, inhaling his scent and was about to bit down when Rin yelled,

"STOP HURTING HARU!"

"I told you to keep her away." The Lord growled at being interrupted, still displaying his red eyes, as he glanced at the imp.

"I-I apologize sir-" Jaken stammered uncontrollably at being on the receiving end of such a powerful stare.

At the sudden voice, Haru regained some of his senses and quickly turned his gaze towards the source. "Mine?" Haru muttered and stared at the human girl.

Confident that it was safe, Sesshoumaru slowly released the boy, watching his motions closely for any signs of aggression.

Looking at him hesitantly at the new appearance, she let out a small yelp as the newly transformed demon quickly held her against his chest and became wide eyed when the boy started purring out of all things, mumbling a plethora of _'mine, mine, mine'_ as he covered her with his scent trying to erase the awful smell of sadness and loneliness that had previously surrounded her.

**oOo**

"How the hell did this happen?!" Jaken exclaimed in a hushed whisper as the boy was now sleeping on the base of a tree still holding the girl in his arms, "It's a New Moon! How-?"

Sesshoumaru didn't even glance at him as he replied, "Something was in his blood, blocking any signs of his Yokai."

"A dampener?" Jaken inquired wide eyed, "He had one all his life?" He breathed in disgust at the thought, "No wonder he was in pain. The transformation had been delayed for so long it couldn't hold on any longer. But to have it happen on a New Moon…" he trailed off as he glanced at the sleeping form of the boy. "What would happen now?" He asked quietly but then he paused, "Sir, is he a half-demon or-?"

"Don't know."

Stunned that his Lord would admit not knowing something, the imp stared at him, "My Lord?"

He scowled before he finally responded, "Haven't seen one of his species in years. Thought the line had died out."

_'A Nekomata out of all things.'_

**oOo**

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**AN: *Boom* Super Duper Early Chapter**

**Usually in these kinds of stories, Haru would be a Dog-demon or even a Kitsune but I decided to go the other way and made him a Cat-demon lol**

**Note: I wasn't sure if Kirara was either a Nekomata or a Mononoke (spirit guardian) and as I couldn't find much info about it, decided to make her a Mononoke to fit the story better.**

**Another Note: As Sesshoumaru hasn't bite down on Haru's neck, the other doesn't have the need, or the impulse, to show obedience towards him.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Sorry everyone, this chapter took too long to finish. Just… *points at the state of the world* crazy times we are living. Couldn't focus on anything… depression sucks btw**

**Hope everyone is well and safe in your homes.**

**Anyway, so I came back with the news of an upcoming sequel of the anime of Inuyasha featuring the children of both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru *phew* I certainly wasn't expecting that one.**

* * *

Letting out a soft hum in contentment and rubbing his face against the soft material that cushioned his head from the hard ground, Haru languidly opened his eyes, not feeling ready to fully wake up -and not wanting to- as he somehow felt a dull ache on his whole body and he certainly wasn't feeling ready to charge the day and put up with a crabby Jaken or a sullen Lord.

Sighing tiredly as he thought of those two, he pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes and groaned before he blinked in confusion noticing how everything seemed brighter than normal.

It was certainly early in the morning, probably just a few hours after dawn, but everything seemed strange. Well, _stranger_ for someone who hadn't been able to see his surroundings for most of his life.

Only a few days ago he had ceased to use the bandages to cover his eyes but this… he was almost certain that this wasn't normal.

The colors were too bright. The grass blades such a vivid green tone, that he was certain he would get a headache soon enough for only staring at it.

Sensing a strange smell, he noticed that he was holding Rin against his chest and paused, pressing his nose against the top of her head. It was an earthy scent, similar to grass and soil along with something else he couldn't figure out. Some kind of plant, probably. She always wandered towards flower beds so it shouldn't be this surprising but, how come he had just noticed this? She always had this smell?

He wondered for a second before he just decided to ignore it for the moment and carefully laid her on the ground before he sat properly.

Deep in thought, he lightly rubbed the back of his head messing his locks as he yawned and startled when his sight was blocked by dark hair. Hair that was much longer than it was the night before…

In his panic he grabbed handfuls of his now long hair from the back of his head and paled when something flickered against his hand. Gulping, he pressed both of his trembling hands against his head trying to figure out what it was and yelped in shock as two small things quivered at his touch. It couldn't be what he was thinking, right?

Standing up with a jolt, quickly regaining his footing before he fell in his haste, he shivered at the feeling of something touching his bum and looked behind him seeing a pair of black tails which were completely ruffled at his stressing and began circling himself as if he were trying to dislodge them from himself. Grabbing them in apprehension, he felt a shiver running down his spine and he blanched. Those things were _his_ now, there was no doubt.

Looking everywhere in alarm his eyes immediately locked at the sleeping form of Jaken and quickly went after him, grabbing his body and lifting him from the ground.

"What am I?!" He exclaimed. "How did this happen?! You said it was a new moon, how?" He yelled as he shook the confused imp anxiously.

Sweating profusely as he was held above the ground by the newly turned yokai, Jaken stuttered, his eyes impossibly wide, "T-the facts were confusing b-but we believe that it could be the new moon along with the length of the suppressing of your true nature."

"True nature? Does this means that-" Haru blinked for a second before he began to vigorously shake him again as he screamed, "What did they do?!"

"This Sesshoumaru would appreciate if you would unhand my servant."

Astonished at the sudden voice, his grip slacked causing Jaken to flop on the ground with a shocked yelp, which he ignored in turn of looking behind him, seeing the Lord standing a few feet away.

Taking in the state of the Lord, he paused for a moment; he could swear the he even looked somewhat different from yesterday. He still held himself in his regal posture but there was also a slight semblance of cautiousness as if he was ready for any kind of threat.

"_You_…" Haru began as he stared at the Lord and instinctively gave a wary sniff at the air and his nose twitched, "_smell_." He blurted out without any finesse making one of Sesshomaru's eyebrows twitch. "Is this how it always is for all of you?" Haru groaned as he covered his face, completely ignoring him, "Everything smells awful. _I_ smell awful." He bemoaned and jumped when suddenly a package was held in front of his face and he muttered in confusion. "What-"

"You can't keep using these dirty clothes." The Lord simply stated as his face remained blank, "Change."

Haru twitched as his face heated up. He probably didn't meant anything with it but the look in his eyes made him shiver, "I-I need to take a bath first-"

The Demon Lord just stared at him before easily lifting him and tossing him over his shoulder making the young man yelp in surprise, and walked away, carrying him like a sack of potatoes, unheeding of the fervent protests.

"H-hold on! Where are you taking me!" Haru exclaimed in alarm as he wiggled trying to free himself, "I can walk by myself!" Haru screamed as he was carried away.

Jaken stared after them trying to get over his shock. He could still heard Haru's screams in the distance, when Rin approached him, just awake and drowsily rubbing her eyes, "Mr Jaken, where is Haru?"

"He's- He will be back in a moment."

**oOo**

"Let me go!" Haru growled from his position on Sesshoumaru's shoulder, "Is it because of the _'you smell'_ comment?" He asked and the Lord twitched in response, "Because I'm sorry, ok?! I didn't mean anything with it!" he sighed in exasperation while Sesshoumaru just kept walking in silence no paying heed to the younger's indignation.

The silence dragged on for too long until Haru got fed up and grumbled, "Where are you taking me anyway?" When the Dog Demon didn't answer he huffed, "Alright, alright. I apologize for my behavior. I shouldn't have been so disrespectful…" he mumbled, letting himself be carried to god knows where, "I was too shocked about myself to actually care about what I was saying and I'm sorry about that."

"Why did you stop?" Haru inquired in surprise before he yelped as he was dropped on the ground and grimaced at the pain on his bum. "What was that about?" He whined.

"Strip."

Haru goggled, "E-excuse me?"

"Take off our clothes or I'll do it."

"Wh-what the-? Y-you can't just ask me to do that!" He yelled as his face reddened, both because of the anger and because of the command. "You may be a Lord, an Emperor, or whatever but you can't make me do whatever you want!"

When the Lord approached him in long strides, he stood as quickly as he could and backed a few steps as he squeaked, "O-okay! Okay! I will do it! B-but you have to stay back!"

Remaining on his place, the Lord just stared over his shoulder and he hesitatingly turned his head, "Eh? A lake?" he blinked as he stared at the older man before he approached the edge of the water and took of his footwear before dipping a foot in, feeling relieved that he had been wrong and feeling bad that he had thought so badly of the other.

"You could have said, 'Hey, I took you to a lake so you can wash yourself', y'know?" He said just for the sake of saying something in search of trying to avoid his own thoughts. "You aren't very talkative…" he mumbled and grimaced at his own words, knowing that it wouldn't be nice to annoy the other when he hadn't done anything wrong… of course, his way of doing wasn't ideal… Haru breathed out trying to calm his nerves, "but I appreciate it. Thank you."

The following silence seemed heavy somehow making him fidget in his place.

"Um, could you-" Haru started and cleared his throat nervously, "Could you turn around? It's embarrassing if you are staring." He murmured as he avoided looking towards him.

He waited with a bated breath as he heard the Lord moving a few meters away from the lake but remained close by.

Gulping nervously, he quietly removed his clothing. Twitching his nose in disgust as the smell of sweat and dirt seemed to cling to the fabric. His kosode was big for his frame making it unbelievable uncomfortable to try to adjust and it was also old, he could even see some holes on the sleeves and he snorted as Jaken's words resounded on his head, _"ratty boy"_, indeed.

Thinking that he had been wearing these rags, as they could hardly be called clothing anymore, was utterly embarrassing.

Finally undressed, he dipped his legs in before thinking and shivered at the coldness of the water against his sensitive skin. It wasn't overly cold but the difference of the temperature was there.

He could feel the fur on his tails ruffle up at his discomfort and his embarrassment increased. Grumbling in annoyance at the stupid appendages, he went deeper in the water as he tried to ignore the fact that he was now a demon.

Washing his arms, he winced as he felt something sharp graze his skin and gasped, noticing how his nails seemed longer and sharper. Startled, he took deep breaths to avoid the panic that was undoubtedly increasing in him and tried to will them to recede, feeling utterly relieved when it worked.

Staring at his hands in curiosity, he played around making his nails grow and recede continuously. "Sir?" He called without lifting his gaze. His voice was not loud but it wasn't too quiet either, as he thought that if his hearing was similar to the Dog Demon's then he would be able to hear him. "Would you still teach me on how to fight?" He inquired.

"I-" He swallowed as he didn't really wanted to say the next, "I understand if you want me to go as I know that right now I am more trouble than warranted… but I don't want to leave Rin-" The mere thought of leaving her teared his heart apart. He had grown overly attached to that sweet girl so much quickly than he thought it was possible. But right now, at the state he was in, he was a danger. What if his claws scratched at her hands when she would take his own? What if he lost control?

Just thinking of it made him sick.

"B-but if it is what you want, then I will!" He pressed the words out even as it hurt him.

* * *

**AN: and I oop-**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I think it's safe to say that from this moment on the Rating M will take it's due place, not because of smexy times but there- _*sigh*_ I'd wish, but I'm really shy about writing these things, even writing kiss scenes embarrasses me… _maybe in the future_**

**I don't remember Sesshoumaru talking so much- sorry if that bothers anyone, tried to keep everyone in character as much as I could ****but I barely remember the show.**

* * *

The silence only grew heavier as the minutes passed between them. The only sounds that could be heard were the flutter of the leaves of the trees surrounding the area along with the occasional chirping of birds. But apart from the nature sounds the only thing that resounded on his ears was the sound of his own heartbeat and his ragged breaths as he tried to contain himself.

_Why did it hurt so much?_

How could he become so attached that just thinking of leaving that girl tore at his heart? He had been with them for barely ten days, it shouldn't hurt this much but he felt as if his heart was being clenched tightly and he couldn't seem to even breathe as he remained frozen on the lake.

Desperately wanting to turn around and leave but knowing that if he left the water, his nakedness would be in complete display to the eyes of the Dog Demon -both physical and emotional- he remained still and waited, pulling his arms tight around himself.

_Why did he speak when he was completely naked?_ He thought ruefully. Kanan was right; he didn't have any sense of self-preservation at all.

The silence dragged on for another moment and he vaguely pondered if the Lord had finally become tired of him and had decided to leave him on the woods to fend for himself.

Curiously turning around he startled when he found the other standing a few steps away from the water's edge, staring intently at him. Squeaking in surprise, he flailed for a moment before quickly moving his arms to cover his chest and yelped when he accidentally brushed a hand over a tender nipple. _What the fuck?! _He thought in mortification as his face contorted in horror. _Why am I sensitive all over?! Even my nipples hurt!_

_Fuck it, I'm gonna drown myself. That would save me from the embarrassment._ He considered for a second but Sesshoumaru must have noticed him intently eyeing the water because he said, "Get out of the water," in a blunt manner making him sputter.

"W-what? I'm not- I'm not clean yet!" He hastily refused partly because he really needed to bathe and also because he wasn't looking forward to being anywhere near the Dog Demon.

"Won't have this conversation whilst you are in such a state of undress." The Demon spoke immediately and added without missing a beat. "Such a shameless thing would bring disgrace to this Sesshoumaru's bloodline."

_But carrying me over your shoulder like a sack of potatoes won't be disgraceful to you, isn't it? _Haru thought bitterly as he flushed in both anger and embarrassment.

"Can't you just ignore me then? Delay this conversation until later?" He asked hopefully even if he perfectly knew that the other won't. The Lord didn't spoke much, but damn if he hadn't learned to pick up things on these past few days. He had to for his own safety considering he was treading unknown territory with him. So in these pasts days he had found himself paying attention on the way the Lord carried himself and taking account of every minute shift on his posture in case of any sign of hostility to his person or his 'charge' (as Sesshoumaru called the small human girl).

Furthermore, it helped that the other was pleasant to look at- _but he certainly wasn't going to go there!_

He flinched when the other scowled, "Alright, I get it!" He exclaimed with his arms still pressed against his chest like a young maiden, "Just- Can you… can you please turn around?" His face felt extremely hot and was almost certain that he was as red as a tomato.

The Dog Demon barely stared at him impassively for a moment before he turned around and walked away giving him some resemblance of privacy.

Swallowing nervously, he waddled towards the shore and hurriedly dried his body with his old clothing, trying to stubbornly stifle the hiss of pain whenever he rubbed a sensitive area and mentally cried in despair wondering if that was going to be a permanent thing regarding his body. _Everything hurts, dammit! Even his belly button was hurting! WHY?!_

Throwing the old kosode away in annoyance he patted the bundle that Sesshoumaru had laid on the ground and inspected it staring in surprise at its contents, noticing that there was more than a just a piece of clothing.

A white obi laid on top of a bluish grey kimono that was folded neatly and underneath it laid a second kimono with a pair of black hakama pants along with black arm plates and leggings.

Picking the blue kimono, he got dressed and was surprised as it fit around his body comfortably. He paused as a feeling of relief and contentment rushed him, thinking that this was the first time he didn't have to struggle to adjust his clothing to make it fit his small frame, then flushed in embarrassment thinking that he should make a _hole_ for his tails… pausing on his dressing he rushed towards his old clothing as a thought crossed his mind and fiddled with it with clumsy fingers, and yep, there was a hole. Luckily it wasn't as big as he thought but it definitely was there.

The fabric of his old kosode was so tattered that the black tails had bursted through the cloth, which meant-

_He had a hole on his ass._

He blanched in mortification. He basically paraded himself around demons with a hole on his ass.

Taking a deep breath to compose himself he took off the kimono before he reached out to the back and with a lengthened claw he cut a little of the cloth before he quickly dressed, pushing his tails through said hole and hastily fastened the obi around his waist, making sure that the sash covered any gap his tails hadn't covered.

He was adamant on ignoring his mortification as he swiftly donned his zori sandals but nonetheless he took a few calming breaths before he called out to the Dog Demon.

He didn't had to wait for too long as only a few seconds passed and the Lord was now standing in front of him. _Staring._

Avoiding his gaze, he tried to keep himself from fidgeting and keeping the shameful thought that he had a hole on his clothing -which he had to make for his tails- and that at any moment his bum could be presented to the world.

Uncaring of the other's nervousness, Sesshoumaru quietly regarded him for a few seconds before he spoke.

"Running off when you don't even know what you are is dangerous and stupid. Where, pray tell, would you ran off to?"

Haru quickly looked up in surprise and hesitated on what to say. He was right, he was alone now and with his newfound Yokai status it would be harder to find a safe place not to say people he could trust.

Humans were fearful on demons as most Yokai were ruthless and bloodthirsty. He knew he couldn't count with the help of other Yokai, at least not in his state. Not even knowing anything of his species or how to protect himself. He shuddered, he was lucky that he had found Jaken and Sesshoumaru. They, at least, were courteous enough.

"I gave you my word and at the instant you found us you became my responsibility. In the short time you have been with us Rin has become attached and I believe it's the same for you." The Lord paused as he regarded him with a strange look in his eyes. "If what you fear is harming Rin then be at peace, there is no chance that will happen."

Haru immediately stared at him in confusion.

"At the very moment of your transformation you became wild and lost control but as soon as you saw her, you sensed her distress and reached out to calm her. You never intended to harm her.

Haru quickly interrupted in "But I could-!"

"You could but you didn't because your instincts keep you from harming a kit."

Blinking in confusion, Haru stared at him.

"Your change was highly difficult and strange." He explained. "That night was a New Moon. A night were half-yokai, or Hanyou, are forced to show their mundane side and weakened. But you," he paused as he inspected the supposedly half-breed in front of him, "somehow endured a transformation on that same night. We think that the reason might be the suppressants that you were given for years, thus making it increasingly painful for you."

Listening intently in apprehension, Haru took a few breaths to calm himself before he asked in an almost inaudible voice, "What am I?"

"Nekomata." The Lord spoke, "Cat Demon. Possibly the last of your species."

"Were you in pain?"

"Last night? I felt I was burning alive!"

"When you mentioned leaving, I could smell your distress." The Lord trailed off as he listened intently to his surroundings before focusing on the young demon in front of him. "Nekomata were extremely protective of their young, making them fierce guardians in the face of danger to their families."

"You mean Rin…"

"In your change, you claimed her as yours."

* * *

**AN: Boom baby!**

**Let's pretend I wasn't gone for a month *sweats***


	10. Chapter 10

_"You claimed her as yours."_

He stared at the person in front of him with wide eyes and blanched as Sesshoumaru's words echoed in his head while the world seemed to lurch at an uncomfortable pace.

"W-what do you mean by claimed? When did that happen?!" He exclaimed, his voice getting louder with each word in his panic, "I wasn't even aware!"

"Nekomata have been known to have large families." The Dog Demon began, steadily looking at him in the eyes, "The hormones of your changing might have accelerated the need for an offspring."

_Need for a-_

Blinking in surprise, Haru stared for a moment before his brain caught on his words. Face turning into a deep shade of red he exclaimed scandalized that the demon in front of him had the gall to tell him in such a nonchalant way that he was desperate of having children like he was some sort of maniac or someone who needed to be impregnated to subside.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?!"

He was a man! He wasn't looking forward to get any woman pregnant and there was _no way_ he could carry! _...right?!_

The Lord just remained impassive at his outburst as he continued to explain, "Nekomata have an innate instinct to nurture. The lack of a familial bond was harming you. You needed an anchor, something that would keep you grounded, and your scent was already on her." He paused, letting his words sink in, "I believe you unknowingly imprinted on her the moment you met. The continuous closeness just secured the bond further."

Green eyes widened in shock at his words, shoulders dropping as he remained rooted to the spot.

"If you hadn't imprinted on Rin then it's almost certain that you would've gone on a rampage destroying everything in your path." _Until you killed yourself. _Sesshoumaru thought with a frown, refraining himself from telling him so.

Feeling unsteady, Haru sank to his knees as his body trembled and swallowed heavily.

_He was this close to losing his mind?_

"B-but I am fine, right?" He managed to utter in a low tone, suddenly feeling drained of any previous energy. "I-I didn't hurt anyone?"

"If you had, then you wouldn't be here."

Haru swallowed, his throat feeling dry, "Did I scare her?"

"You woke next to her; you can figure that out on your own."

Haru let out a shaky breath in relief, clenching his hands on his lap as Sesshoumaru glanced at him, "There is something else bothering you."

"How could they not tell me? They knew and-" he swallowed thickly, hands shaking in his own tight grip, fearing that he would do something he would regret afterwards, "They forced me to stay as a human."

"Humans are despicable and selfish creatures. They fear what they can't control yet they fight and kill each other for the most inane of reasons. You should've known that by now."

He had a point, Haru knew that, however, he also knew that harsh circumstances could bring out the worst in people. He would admit that he was too soft of a person and that he believed that people could change for the better.

"But not all of them," Haru muttered softly with a smile as the image of the little girl flashed in front of his eyes and chanced a glance at the Lord, after all, for someone who seemed to despise humans, he had still accepted to take in a little homeless girl and even protected her.

Perhaps he had seen the other side of humanity.

The Demon Lord barely glanced at him before he diverted his gaze towards the trees.

He sighed, acknowledging that the other wouldn't just display any kind of emotions that wasn't disdain or boredom. Such a shame, he thought, considering the demon had a handsome face and would certainly benefit from having a different expression that wasn't one of constipation.

Rising from his kneeling position, he brushed the dirt of his kimono a little before he spoke, "We should go back. They must be worried what took so long." He said before he chuckled a little trying to lighten up the mood, "They might think you finally decided to kill me."

His mirth was short lived when the Dog Demon stared at him motionlessly. "You are stalling. If you want to say something just speak up. This Sesshoumaru won't endure you just dithering around like a child."

Haru flinched at the bluntness and grimaced. It won't do to just bail out on fear right now. Why was he so weak around the other? After all, he seemed amenable enough, he supposed. He hasn't threatened him with bodily harm, he considered that as a plus.

"There are so many things I don't know about myself. I don't have any memories of my mother."

"Have you ever known any Nekomata? Before…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"My father knew a small clan close to the border, they scattered many years ago."

"You think I might be... the last?" He swallowed heavily and closed his eyes. "What does that mean for me? What do I do?" He inquired, looking at the demon in front of him for any kind of answer before he looked away in defeat, "I guess nothing. Simply live my own life, perhaps I could try to find some information about what happened. Maybe," he sighed, knowing that it was nothing more than wishful thinking, "with enough luck I could find others."

Sesshoumaru watched as the young demon's ears lowered in a clear display of his emotions. As if it was difficult to know of them just by simply glancing at him or looking into his eyes, he frowned then at the undesired thought, "Before your appearance I had thought your kind was extinct. There hadn't been any sightings for years."

Haru looked up in surprise, his eyes hopeful as he spoke, "You think they could be in hiding?"

"There is a possibility."

The boy inclined his head at the reply, mollified but looking better than before, and nodded shakily, "It's better than nothing," he muttered, and in his opinion, it was preferable to remain positive and hopeful than just thinking on the possibility of being the last of his kind.

Taking a deep breath, he decided that they had stalled for long enough as he gathered his things and began walking back towards the camping site.

When the Dog Demon just remained on his spot, he paused and looked back at the him, tilting his head in silent question when the other just stared as if trying to dissect him.

_And wasn't that a scary thought?_

Haru gulped nervously and was about to comment on it when Sesshoumaru walked past him without a word.

Confused, Haru looked at him curiously for a moment and startled when the Lord paused and glanced back at him. Flushing, he hurried towards him and, squaring his shoulders in embarrassment, made sure that there was a few feet of distance between them.

After a moment of walking in silence Sesshoumaru spoke, "You regret it?"

The sudden question made him pause in his tracks and stared at him in surprise. Looking down, he stared as his hands clutched the bundle of clothes as he considered the question over. "No," he finally spoke, a little surprised at how easy the words came out, "no I don't regret having met her nor do I regret imprinting on her." He breathed deeply, feeling at ease with himself and casted a side glance at the older demon, "Are you-?" he inquired risking a glance at the other, "Are you bothered by the fact that I bonded with her?"

He waited unknowingly holding his breath in anticipation as Sesshoumaru silently regarded him for a moment, "Rin needs someone that would keep her in check." Not to mention that she had already latched strongly on the other. If they were to be separated when the bond barely started the result could be catastrophic.

"So now I am just a babysitter." He snorted. He really shouldn't expect much from the other in terms of heart-to-hearts. "Guess Jaken will be glad I relieved him from that duty." He sighed pushing some stray strands from his face and his eyes widened when a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"Hold on-" he started, "If I adopted her as my own..." he faltered, swallowing and shifting uncomfortably, "as my _child_, does that mean..." he trailed off as he recalled how he had met Rin and his shoulders sagged in defeat. "That makes me her mother, isn't it?"

In reply the Lord barely looked at him for a second before turning away and leaving the flustered boy rooted to the spot.

**oOo**

Soon enough they returned to the camp and he allowed himself to breathe in relief as he saw Rin next to Jaken, shifting anxiously in her seat from time to time and immediately looked up as she heard them approaching.

"Haru's hair is long!" Rin squealed excitedly as soon as she saw him and ran towards him. "I'm glad to see you too." Haru laughed as the girl promptly threw herself against his legs.

Hugging her close, instincts relishing in having his kit close, he was astonished when a purr almost escaped his throat and he coughed in alarm.

He brushed his discomfort away as he looked at the girl that stood by his legs staring at him in confusion and he smiled in reassurance as he kneeled in front of her.

"Rin, I need you to look at me, alright?" He said, waiting for her to nod until he continued, "Can you tell me about what happened last night? Was it scary?" He asked softly and paused for a moment, fearing his next question, "Did I hurt you?"

Rin immediately shook her head looking at him with wide eyes, "Rin was not hurt! Haru was in pain!"

"But did I scare you? It's alright to tell me if you did."

Shook her head slowly and avoided his gaze staring at her feet, "Rin was not hurt…"

Hary smiled softly, gently carding his fingers through her hair in a caress, "But you were afraid. I'm sorry for that." He murmured, tentatively opening his arms in an invitation which she immediately took and he became confused as she pressed her face against his neck but he pushed the thought away as he held her close, brushing her back comfortingly as she clutched to him.

"Remember when we met and you called me Mother?" He inquired after a moment, "Did I look like her?"

"A little…?" She said hesitating, shyly glancing up at him from under messy bangs, "Mom's hair was short. Had to cut it for food."

"I see," Haru murmured with a slight frown. It wasn't a rare occurrence for people to sell their hair in exchange of money of food but what bothered him was the thought that Rin, this sweet child would've probably starved.

Trying to lighten up he grabbed handfuls of his hair, moving it wildly around as he showed her, "I don't know what to do with it and it's a bit annoying, should I cut it?"

"It wouldn't matter if you did. It would just grow as quickly as you cut it." Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke surprising him as he didn't know the other was nearby.

"What do you mean?" Haru asked in growing apprehension while Rin looked from one person to the other and clutched nervously at the boy's kimono, fearing that they would take him away from her. Sesshoumaru's watchful eye didn't leave the figure in front of him and his suspicion was correct when Haru instinctively placed a hand against the girl's back in comfort.

Jaken stared at the Lord wide eyed, choking a startled screech, "You think-!"

"What is so weird about my hair?" Haru inquired in confusion, "Now, that I think about it, that old woman used to cut my hair regularly but I didn't know why. Always thought it was a hygiene thing but…"

"He really is…" Jaken trailed off with a panicked look.

"Can you just tell me already? You are scaring me."

"Submissive." Sesshoumaru finally said without looking at him.

Puzzled, Haru tilted his head a little and frowned in confusion. "What does that mean?" He asked lowly making Jaken squeak.

"A-a s-submissive-"

"Jaken, your squeaking doesn't help." Haru grumbled.

"I'm not squeaking you-!" Jaken screeched, flailing his staff around.

Sesshoumaru interrupted, eyebrow twitching in exasperation, "All of the signs you keep showing are clearly signs of a submissive."

"Again, that doesn't exactly-"

"That means that you will seek a dominant figure to bond with."

The following silence enveloped them until Haru broke it with a quiet, _"Eh?"_

**oOo**

* * *

**AN: This chapter took this long because I wanted to finish writing the Extra and post them together. If you like this story and pairing then it's for you! I'll greatly appreciate if you could check it out.**

***You can find the Extra as a separate story; it's named "Spring In Your Eyes - What If..."**


	11. Chapter 11

**Warning: Mentions of Mpreg, but this story won't become an actual Mpreg, so if you don't like that kind of stories, don't worry, there won't be an actual pregnancy. Just take in mind that there will be some mentions from time to time.**

**I'm trying my best to make this a slow burn. I sometimes think I am doing good but then I think I'm failing spectacularly.**

**This chapter took too long to finish. Actually posted it a few minutes after I finally deemed it good enough. Let me know if something is wrong or if you have any question ^^'**

**I call this one: _'The one where Jaken needs to keep hs mouth shut'_.**

* * *

Rin's constant chattering was a welcome distraction from the irritation he felt.

Ears perking, Haru scowled casting a side glance to the area a few meters away. Tails angrily swishing back and forth, he remained in his seat next to the girl while keeping his distance from both youkai.

**-Flashback-**

"I don't get it…" Haru blinked, gaze switching one yokai to the other. What was this about submissives? What was that supposed to mean?

Staring at him in disbelief the imp hastily turned towards the Lord and exclaimed restlessly, "Lord Sesshoumaru! We can't have him with us, it will only mean trouble! We already have enough problems with the human girl!"

"Hey! I'm right here!" Haru exclaimed, miffed at being talked about as if he wasn't even there.

Ignoring his evident indignation, Sesshoumaru glanced at the small form of the girl next to the Nekomata and spoke, "Rin, go to the camp."

Surprised at being mentioned, Rin wavered as she looked up at the Lord. "But..." faltering she glanced at the young demon for assurance only to find an astonished look on his face. Fearing that they were going to take him away and that she would never see Haru again, she clutched tightly at her kimono and exclaimed with resolve, "NO!"

Taken aback, Haru stared at her wide eyed only to gape as she stood in front of him with arms wide open as if she could protect him somehow. "I will not let Lord Sesshoumaru hurt Haru!"

"R-Rin!" Haru gaped and grabbed her, pulling her against his chest. "What are you doing?" He pressed insistently, glancing at the pair of frozen youkai a few feet away.

_They certainly weren't expecting that outburst. Not that he could blame them; he thought his heart was going to come out from his throat._

Taking a few calming breaths trying to regain a semblance of serenity, he took hold of her arms turning her around to look into her eyes.

"Rin, look at me." He insisted, tenderly brushing his fingers through her hair, "There is no need to worry, they won't hurt me. We just need to talk for a moment and," he paused as he thought over on his next request. He needed to keep her distracted enough to have his talk with the demons, he cringed inwardly, could it be that bad that Sesshoumaru was asking Rin to leave them alone? He shook his head to dispel these thoughts. "It would be better if someone keeps an eye on the fire." He added with a smile, "If it keeps burning, it will save us the time to start it again and we could roast a lot of fish. What do you think?" He asked choosing his words carefully wanting to give her a choice on the matter. If she were to deny the request then he would think on something else. He didn't want to just bluntly tell her to go away -like certain person- that was plain rude, but honestly what could he expect with the Demon Lord?

Rin paused, looking at his face searchingly before turning towards Sesshoumaru trying to glare at him, only for it to look more like a pout.

Chancing a glance, he had to control himself from laughing at the Demon Lord. If it was possible he thought Sesshoumaru, immutable and rigid Lord as he was, looked as if he had swallowed a particularly sour lemon.

Covering his twitching lips with a hand, he coughed lightly to compose himself before he playfully pulled at the girl's hair to get her attention once more and spoke with a small pout, "Can you do it for me? I didn't eat anything last night and I'm really hungry." He pouted playfully before he smiled reassuringly, "It will be alright, we just need to talk for a moment."

Rin stared at him for a long moment, her expression too serious for a child her age, before she finally agreed with a slight nod, still not entirely convinced.

"It will only be for a moment and we won't be too far away." Haru assured as he took the little girl in his arms, lovingly enveloping her as he could felt her distress.

Rin stilled and her eyes widened. Cradled in his arms, she felt like being back in her mom's embrace. _Mama..._ Rin couldn't help but think and a slight blush colored her cheeks realizing that she saw this boy as her mother knowing it was wrong to think so but, if she was honest, she couldn't help but agree with it.

_After all, wasn't a mom someone who cared, loved you and kept you warm?_

Slightly pulling away, she looked at him carefully and flushed at the intense warmth of the green eyes aimed at her.

Just being close to Haru and having him look at her like he loved her and wanted to take care of her like a mom made her immensely happy. She wanted to keep him happy so he would stay with her; glancing back at Lord Sesshoumaru with a pout, she thought with resolve. If they were to hurt him she would never forgive them.

Lord Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, surveyed the scene in front of him.

He had known from the very first moment that it would be impossible to separate them and he certainly didn't want to deal with a crying human child and an angered and distressed Nekomata.

If Sesshoumaru were a lesser person and wasn't so prideful, he would've sighed in defeat. Though, if he let himself ponder, there was an advantage to having the Nekomata around. After all, the child had put herself in trouble in more than one occasion and, as much as he tried to ignore it, the Nekomata's care and affection was easily given without being forced.

Rin would be safe under the other's care.

And if he was right in his assumption, the child already saw him as her caretaker. Or even, as a _mother figure_.

The mere thought brought a strange feeling and he narrowed his eyes in slight distaste.

Even if the other wasn't a youkai it wouldn't matter. The first semblance of a bond was already there since the moment they'd met and trying to severe it would only bring despair to both of them.

_It would even break the Nekomata's mind._

So not only he had to ensure that the other would be trained, he also had to keep an eye on the unmated boy, just in case a dominant would be foolish enough to encroach his territory.

Such hassle should probably make him consider things further.

He was brought out of his musings when he heard the boy breathe out in relief, Rin having already retreated back to camp, and clenched his hand in a tight fist frustrated at himself at having let his mind wander. Such vulnerability couldn't be afforded.

"That should keep her busy enough. Really, there is no need to be that rude-" Haru trailed off, still seated on the ground, as he glanced back at the demons only to notice them both staring at him.

Jaken was sporting an impressive resemblance of a gaping fish -more like a toad, his mind supplied- and his eyes were bugging out of his sockets. It was concerning.

"Jaken, are you feeling alright?" Inquiring hesitantly in concern, he stared nervously at the previously green-skinned demon as he paled to a sickly grey. Tails curling around himself in his uneasiness, he slightly leaned away trying his best to avoid looking at Jaken before cautiously glancing upwards at the Demon Lord only to stare in confusion when the other just stared at him with his usual scowl.

"Sir?" Haru's quiet inquiry seemed to have brought Jaken back from his stupor as he immediately screeched, "How could you refer to my Lord as such a simple term as 'sir'?!" The imp fumed and twitched when a quiet _'ah'_ left the Nekomata's mouth, "I don't know. I think it's better than calling him Lord."

"B-Better than-!"

Sesshoumaru tuned out the loud screeches.

Calling him _'sir'_ of all things...

In his mind, it was a clear refusal of treating him as someone of a higher status. The young demon probably hadn't even acknowledged it at all but Sesshoumaru had the presentiment that if the other could, he would just refer to him by his given name. Fortunately, the other had enough self-preservation to avoid doing so.

_To be treated as an equal..._ Sesshoumaru frowned and his eyebrow twitched as the imp droned on.

"Jaken." He called and the imp quickly dropped on the ground bowing profusely, blubbering all the while.

Disregarding the other, the Demon Lord walked past him until he stood a few feet apart from the Nekomata.

"Your instincts and the need to protect Rin, even the abrupt growth of your hair are clear signs of your submissive status." The Demon Lord spoke, attentive of his every movement looking for any sign of hostility only to receive a confused stare in return. "Nekomata were known for their nurturing nature, they also have a high chance of being submissive, but what is little known it's the fact that those _Submissives_ have the capacity to conceive regardless of their gender. If you had encountered a dominant before your bond with Rin, they would be exempt to do anything they wanted with you. Your instincts would latch you to them irrevocably making it impossible to deny their orders. That same instinct was the undoing of your kind."

Haru blinked perplexed and scrunched his face. Instead of having a better understanding of things he was more confused than before, "A dominant-?"

"Someone who could subdue and control you to their will." Jaken butted into the conversation, "They release a special scent made of their pheromones to subdue their lessers. My Lord Sesshoumaru is a powerful dominant, of course. One of a kind-"

"Jaken." The Lord called forcefully and the imp jolted with a squeak. Jaken gulped, feeling a shiver down his spine as he sensed a hostile aura and glanced carefully at the younger demon.

"I won't be controlled! Just because I discovered that I am a demon doesn't mean that I am obligated to do anything you ask!" Haru hissed, still kneeling on the ground. The sharp claws digging into the ground was a clear warning as he bristled, "I am my own person! No matter what this being a submissive entails!"

"If your scent can be trusted then you are a Submissive and a Bearer." Ignoring the hisses from the Nekomata, Sesshoumaru remained impassively, without rising to the bait as much as his instincts were telling him to dominate and put the other on his place.

The sudden silence he received in return was almost deafening as he was regarded with a confuse stare.

Jaken sweated, gaze switching between them until he finally broke the silence with a cough. "It means that you have the ability to carry."

"Carry what?"

The imp squeaked at the sheer stupidity of the other and flailed, "You idiot! It means you can get pregnant! Were you even listening?"

"WHAT?!" Haru screeched quickly standing and stared at them in disbelief, "I could deal with the ears and tails but actually getting pregnant?! No sir, that's not- I don't even have the parts for that!" He exclaimed causing the imp to scoff as he crossed his arms. "Your gender wouldn't matter. A submissive will be able to carry no matter what."

"B-but-" The Nekomata grimaced holding himself as he thought of becoming pregnant assaulted him and quickly shook his head to dispel these thoughts. It wouldn't do to think of something that _WASN'T_ going to happen. "What about this bond thing?" He chose to ask, "I mean- A bond can mean a lot of things-!" he sputtered unwilling to look at the Lord's face as he was certain that his own was completely flushed in his embarrassment, "It doesn't necessarily means that-"

He cut himself off as he made the mistake of glancing up, seeing the intense gaze on his person and he squeaked, tails bristling in his anxiety.

"I-I don't need a dominant!" He exclaimed taking a few steps backwards vehemently keeping is distance, "I don't want one either! I'm perfectly fine and my bond with Rin is enough!"

"It's not that bad. For a Sub, having the right dominant near could be helpful, as long as they are mindful of the submissive's health which isn't that common considering most Dom treat them as trash-" The imp cut himself as became aware of the sense of impending doom. He really needed to control his mouth, he sweated profusely as he could feel his Lord' ire.

"Was that supposed to reassure me?!" The Nekomata cried out as he walked in circles, oblivious of the dark aura that surrounded the lord, "This is a nightmare. I just left a hellish place only to enter another." He mumbled, holding his head in his hands and suddenly turned around, pointing an accusing finger towards the older demon, "And you better stay away from me!"

Lord Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, barely controlling himself from the scoff that threatened to escape and growled, "Only a barbarian would mark a submissive without their consent."

Haru glanced at him cautiously before he insisted, standing his ground. "I appreciate that you took me in but I won't be bossed around, Lord or not!"

"Watch your mouth! Lord Sesshoumaru could easily kick you out!" Jaken exclaimed and immediately regretted it as he noticed the dark aura surrounding the younger male.

"Are you seriously threatening to keep me away from her?" He growled as his eyes turned a golden tint, nails lengthening to form sharp claws. "I dare you."

Sesshoumaru scowled at the quivering form of Jaken.

"It has already been decided. He will remain with us." He spoke, glowering at the imp which turned ashen in color.

Haru stared at Jaken with a dirty look, daring him to open his mouth to refuse.

**-End Flashback-**

Haru scoffed, as if he was going to let them keep him away from Rin.

He dared them to even try, he thought, tails swishing indignantly. Scratching his arm he suddenly remembered that he still had his old bandages secured around his left arm.

Untying them, he inspected the piece of cloth for a second before he reached behind his head and started gathering his hair about to tie the cloth into a ponytail to secure the flowing strands from becoming too troublesome.

"Don't expose your neck." Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly making him jump.

"What?" Haru paused and stared wide eyed at the Lord, his hands still holding his hair up.

"Let your hair down or cover your neck."

"But it's annoying-" He began but immediately quieted with a gulp as he saw the intense gaze of golden eyes directed at his neck and squeaked, nodding stiffly with a shiver quickly dropping his hair.

_Covering his neck it is._

He gulped heavily still feeling the other's piercing gaze on his back as he quickly wound the cloth around his neck.

**oOo**

After the initial shock of discovering that he was a Yokai it was just a matter of time before he had to begin his training.

Sesshoumaru had decided that they would travel by day and start the training as soon as the sun began to set until late in the night.

It was unnecessary to say that he wasn't doing too well. The burn marks on his arm and legs were proof of that. On the good side, being a yokai meant that he could heal faster than as a human, that didn't meant that it didn't hurt.

He braced himself trying to remain still while Rin, bless her little heart; put some healing paste on his burns.

"Am I going to look like this the rest of my life?" He grumbled as his ears continued to flicker in every direction, making him angry at how little control he had. Every little sound, even the annoying crickets, made his hair stand on edge.

The Lord barely 'hnned' without looking at him and Haru narrowed his eyes in annoyance, staring at his back.

Jaken decided that he should be the one to break the silence. "Some Nekomata had gained the ability to change their appearance. It will take time and dedication but if you have the commitment you could learn."

Haru sighed in defeat. He only hoped he could sleep with the maddening crickets having their mini ensemble.

**oOo**

_He hadn't meant to explode._

_Oh, dear, he really didn't mean to._

He sweated profusely, staring at the imposing figure of the Demon Lord.

_Why had he screamed at **him**?!_

His ears laid tightly back against the head as his own words echoed in his mind and he flushed in mortification.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean- It's just too much, I feel like my head is spinning and everything it's so loud..." He murmured, grabbing at his ears struggling to mute his surroundings.

"You'll grow accustomed to it with time."

"Of course, I'll just deal with this until my eardrums explode!" He screamed in frustration only to let out a shocked yelp when Sesshoumaru suddenly took hold of his arm.

Wide eyed, he stared at the demon in front of him as time seemed to slow down.

_Had he finally exasperated him enough and was he going to kill him?_

The feeling of the tight grip on his wrist suddenly made him afraid, wondering what the other would do but he remained unwilling to back down and let the other know how much his closeness affected him.

Hesitating, he slowly tore his eyes from the other's face and looked down, staring at how easily the Demon's fingers curled around his wrist and he gulped at the glint of sharp nails, wondering how effortlessly it would be for the other to slit his wrist open, suddenly reminded that this wasn't just a simple Demon but a Lord.

Would that mean that he was stronger? Older?

At first he had thought it was just a title but even if he hadn't seen the other in a fight he just knew that Sesshoumaru would be an impressive sight to behold...

_Wha-what was he thinking?!_

I mean, there was no doubt that the Lord was nice-looking- Alright, he was more than _'nice-looking'_. He was handsome! But this wasn't the moment to have these kinds of thoughts popping in his head!

So he reprimanded himself in his mind and stared back, trying his best to keep his thoughts on track and control the fierce blush that threatened to overcome his face, and, most importantly, tried to keep an impassive mask even if on the inside he was sweating buckets at being this close to the other.

* * *

**oOoOo**

******In this world there are two different kinds of Subs. Submissives and Bearers.

**Submissives**, as the word entails, are 'commonly' known as beings of a calm, quiet and docile demeanor. This doesn't mean that it is the case as just because of their need to have a dominant near them they are usually deemed as 'weak', when in fact, they seek a dominant to help control their own needs as they usually become too powerful for their own sake and go insane to the point of killing themselves.

As Sesshoumaru explained, there had been known cases of people treating Subs as slaves for their power, uncaring of the damage they might do.

**Bearers**, are beings with the ability to become pregnant regardless of their gender.

Haru being a Nekomata, a known species for being Submissive in kind, and also a Bearer, is regarded as highly coveted and sought-after.

**oOoOo**

**AN: I'm reaching a point where I don't know where I am going with the story mostly because I'm not sure at what time does this story take place regarding Inuyasha's story.**

**Was thinking of making it before Rin is abducted by Kagura.**

**Just imagine, Haru being furious with everyone, even Sesshoumaru, for not stopping her and ready to whoop ass (and to *possibly* rip Kagura's face) *grins and hides in the shadows***

**Let me know what you think, I'm open to suggestions!**


End file.
